X-ray photography is used for the treatment or diagnosis of teeth. This X-ray photography is conducted by sealing an X-ray film in an exposure-preventing pack and then exposing the film to X-rays with the pack maintained in contact with a target tooth of the photography. After completion of the photography, the pack is taken out of the mouth and the X-ray film is then developed by a dental X-ray film developing processor. Such dental X-ray film developing processors include various types, but developing processors of the type disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication (Kokoku) No. SHO 60-20115 are superior for their permitting development of an X-ray film in a planar form.
According to the developing processor disclosed in the above publication, two pairs of rollers, each pair being composed of two rollers maintained in close contact with each other, are spacedly arranged between two side walls which oppose each other, a bottom wall is arranged between the side walls and below the roller pairs so that a processing space is formed by the two roller pairs, the respective side walls and the bottom wall. A processing solution for an X-ray film is filled in the processing space and the individual rollers are rotated, whereby the X-ray film is caused to move through the processing solution from one of the roller pairs to the other roller pairs. In the course of this movement, processing of the X-ray film is performed. The processing solution is sucked up from a reservoir in which the processing solution is stored, and is then filled in the processing space. An overflow is formed through the side wall of the processing space and, when the filled processing solution rises beyond the overflow, the processing solution is discharged out of the processing space through the overflow and is returned to the reservoir.
A dental X-ray film developing processor in which processing spaces of the above-described type are arranged for development processing, fixing processing and washing processing, respectively, is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application No. HEI 1-35608. This dental X-ray film developing processor is divided into an upper main body and a lower main body, the upper main body is provided only with rollers which form the above-described processing spaces, and elements other than the rollers are mounted on the lower main body. The dental X-ray film developing processor is assembled by mounting the upper main body on the lower main body. The division of a dental X-ray film developing processor into an upper main body and a lower main body as described above permits easy and thorough cleaning of rollers and the like.
Incidentally, many of users of dental X-ray film developing processors are general dental practitioners, who are specialized in the treatment and diagnosis of teeth, and their employees. These people are not accustomed to the operation of such dental X-ray film developing processors and, practically, cannot afford to fully read instruction manuals. When a dental X-ray film developing processor is operated by such a non-expert, a trouble may often occur by a human error or the like which is unpredictable by its designer, manufacturer or seller. The occurrence of the trouble is usually reported to a distributor or the manufacturer via the seller. The seller or manufacturer gathers necessary parts from the reported details of the trouble and then sends a serviceman with the parts to repair the trouble.
However, servicemen are not always ready for immediate service visits but, under the current circumstances, are usually very busy repairing troubles. It therefore takes a substantial time until a serviceman can be dispatched. Even when a serviceman is sent, his finding of a need for a part other than those carried with him makes it necessary for him to revisit the same user by carrying the additional part, resulting in the need for a further time until the trouble is repaired. If the trouble is extensive and cannot be fixed by a limited repair, he has to carry back the broken developing processor and, subsequent to its repair by the seller or manufacturer, has to deliver it back to the user. For these reasons, it generally takes from a week in a fast case to several weeks in a tardy case until the occurrence of a trouble until the completion of its repair. During this period, the user cannot use the dental X-ray film developing processor, thereby inconveniencing treatments and diagnoses. A still longer time is required for a repair especially when a trouble occurs at a place remote from the seller or manufacturer.
An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, and hence to provide a dental X-ray film developing processor which permits promptly coping with any trouble.